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Osawa Sake Brewery Folklore Museum、大澤酒造民俗資料館（長野県）


The museum, which is owned by the sake brewery, is in a town on ex-highway “Nakasendou” (kaidou) in central Japan. The town was a rest space for travelers including daimyo lords. Osawa family’s heirlooms are exhibited. It is fun to own treasures and to hand down. Although I don’t have any treasure, I felt I would happy if I had a little treasure for my descendants.

中山道望月宿と芦田宿の間の茂田井宿にある酒屋の資料館です（茂田井宿は、正式な宿場と宿場の間にあり、休憩所だった間の宿です）。書道館と美術館も併設されており、大澤家に伝わるお宝が展示されています。よい物を持つ楽しみ、子孫に伝える幸福感が分かります。大澤家のようにはいきませんが、一家にひとつ、代々伝わるお宝があってもいいですね

 

The brewery (lower left) is at the center of the town. Osawa family has lived here and has run the brewery.

宿場の中程に大澤酒造（左下）があります。大澤家は代々ここに住み、家業をつないできました。


The gate of Osawa Sake Brewery. A cedar ball, which is a traditional symbol of a sake brewery, is hung on the left.

大澤酒造の門。


The museum (above) is at the brewery site.

資料館は醸造所の一角にあります。


Entrance、資料館玄関


There is a direct sales store inside the entrance door. I unexpectedly bought two bottles; those were good! The admission fee was free. The exhibition room is on the second floor.

暖簾をくぐると酒の直売所があります。つい買ってしまいますね。美味しいお酒です。入館料は無料でした。２階が展示室です。


Exhibition room、展示室


Tableware and sake bottles are displayed in the showcase. Those are excellent. Three items are enlarged below.

こちらのケースには食器や酒器類が展示されています。よい品ですよ。３品を拡大します。


The lunch box set above (Wajima lacquerware) was used during sakura cherry-blossom viewing and theater going. The foods in the boxes would look good.

輪島塗の携帯用重箱は、花見や芝居見物のときに使いました。料理が映えそうです。


The boxes above are also lunch boxes for pupils in the Meiji period (1868-1912). What were wealthy children they were!

明治時代の小学生用のお弁当箱です。こんな品を持って学校へ行くなんて、お坊ちゃんですねえ。


A master’s tableware was kept in the box above. The fifth-generation master bought it in 1752, and the tenth-generation one put a lacquer finish again on it. The box was used for seven generations. The family has used good items for a long time, hasn’t they?

大澤家主人用の箱膳（食器入れ兼お膳）です。1752年に５代目が購入し、10代目が塗り替え、11代目（1946年）まで７代にわたって使用しました。よい物を修理しながら長く使うのですね。


It is the hereditary sake; the sake brewed in 1689, when the family started business, is in the bottle. It was opened in 1969 on the TV show. The percentage of alcohol was 26%, which is much higher than usual sake (15-16%). The family tend to keep things for a long time.

大澤家に代々伝わる酒。創業当時の1689（元禄２）年に作られた酒が壺に入れられていました。280年の時を経た1969年に、NHKの番組で開栓されました。アルコール度は26度（現在の日本酒は15度ぐらい）でした。大澤家は物を残しておく家なのですね。


The sixth-generation master undertook the construction and repair of the bridge of Chikuma River (the longest river in Japan). However, the bridge was washed away three times! He left a big debt (around $1MM). It is written on the old document above. The wealthy family has engaged in such a social work, therefore, the lord (daimyo) sent gifts to the family. Those are also exhibited.

６代目の当主は、千曲川の橋の架設と修理を請け負いましたが、橋が３回も流出し、死後に千両（約１億円）の借金が残りました。社会事業もしているので、藩主からの拝領品が多いのだと思います。それらも展示されています。


The straw horse was made in 1996. The exhibit relieved me because it was an item of ordinary people, not the wealthy people. The horse and mochi cake were brought to the dosojin (deity) statue; then, the mochi cake was pasted on the statue’s face. Locals prayed for the safe growth of children.

藁馬。庶民的な展示品でホッとしますね。初午の時に、餅をつき、藁馬に乗せて道祖神まで持って行きました。餅は道祖神の顔に塗り、子どもの成長を祈願しました。

Reference website: (museum) https://www.nagano-museum.com/info/detail.php?fno=64&tn=0

(Osawa Sake Brewery Co. Ltd.、大澤酒造)　http://osawa-sake.jp/ (in Japanese), accessed in December, 2025



I walked along the old highway a bit; another sake brewery shows up.

大澤酒造から中山道を下って行くと、もう一軒酒屋があります。


It is Takeshige-honke brewery. A renown poet Wakayama Bokusui stayed there; he was also a renown drunkard.

酒好きの若山牧水が逗留した武重本家酒造です。


The old highway leads to the next town “Mochiduki”. The water is abundant, which means the place is a suitable location for sake brewing.

中山道は望月宿へと続きます。水が豊富で酒造り向きですね。

Reference: Museum of Mochizuki History、望月歴史民俗資料館

 

Visited in July, 2024





Previous post (museum in the same prefecture): Former Kaichi School、旧開智学校校舎（長野県）

Next post (museum in the neighboring city): Komoro post-town and Honmachi hall、小諸宿と北国街道ほんまち町屋館(Coming soon)

 


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